This invention relates in general to a travel direction indicator module for an exterior rearview mirror arrangement for a motor vehicle according to the independent claims and an exterior rearview mirror arrangement having such a travel direction indicator module.
Exterior rearview mirror arrangements for motor vehicles are diversely known in the state of the art. As an example, FIG. 8 depicts such an exterior rearview mirror arrangement 100, which features a mirror head 300 which can swivel relative to a mirror base 200. The mirror head 300 features a housing 400, which supports at least one mirror (not illustrated) and one travel direction indicator module 400.
For such an exterior rearview mirror arrangement, it is known from EP 0858932 B2, to arrange at least one light source of at least one light exit opening within the housing and to fill up the light exit opening with a light conductor, which is connected to the light source inside the housing. To this end, the light conductor can consist of crystal-clear plastic and its outer surface can lie within the outer contour of the housing.
It has turned out that the production of light windows which serve as light conductors, as described in EP 0858932 B2, is not easy. The light windows namely serve as light conductors for transporting light from a coupling point to a multiplicity of decoupling points provided in the light conductor so that the luminance at a final decoupling area or emission region can no longer meet legal requirements.
The production of decoupling points has alternatively been achieved by using optical films, see DE 102011103200 A1.
The legal requirements primarily relate to Regulation No. 6 of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, ECE R6, that is, Uniform Provisions Concerning the Approval of Direction Indicators for Motor Vehicles and Their Trailers.
A generic travel direction indicator module is known from EP 1854667 A1. To this end, there is used a lamp unit having at least two light conductor sections, which are joined together in a node which forms a decoupling area, which emits light which is guided into the two light conductor sections to the node.
EP 1391755 A2 describes another generic travel direction indicator module. A first light conductor extends from the outer edge of the housing of an exterior rearview mirror essentially horizontal to the motor vehicle and conducts coupled light from at least one first light source on an end face facing the vehicle to its opposite face in order to decouple it there essentially opposite to and transversely to the travel direction in accordance with the legally required light distribution. A second light conductor is arranged essentially behind the first light conductor and uses decoupling elements to decouple the light coupled into it from at least one second light source so as to conduct the light essentially transversely to its length on an end face facing the vehicle. The light decoupled by the second light conductor passes through the first light conductor, which is formed separately from the second light conductor.
EP 2489550 A2 also discloses a generic travel direction indicator module having a unitary light guide member, which features two light conductors, wherein light, which is coupled into the light guide member from at least one light source, is outputted from a first light conductor having first internally reflecting steps and a second light conductor having second internally reflecting steps. The first and second light conductors are configured and arranged such that the first light conductor does not interfere with light emitted from the second light conductor and the second light conductor also does not interfere with light emitted from the first light conductor.
Thus, it would be desirable to further develop the generic travel direction indicator module in such a manner that it is easy to manufacture while satisfying both esthetic and safety-related requirements.